Words by Alex, Pics by Pete & TJ
Crew: El Pres, Slim, TJ, Mr I, Stunt
Pub: Dunc
Route: Rainbow bridge, Endon House, Lidgetts Lane, Kerridge Ridge, Poachers Snicket, Oakenbank, Robin Hood.
Conditions: Very Cold, Hail, Huge amounts of surface water.
Notes:
“Sometimes it snows in April” goes the song, well forgive me for profanities, but as Yoda might say, very cold all month it has…. almost May and this is getting silly!!! Forecast for this week is apocalyptic, heavy rain and northerly icy winds with temperatures only marginally above freezing. Activity on the chat group is low, rain radar is obsessively checked, and only the most optimistic of the team are keeping the ride alive!
Stunt cuts the mustard (literally) with pies and brandy laced coffee to tempt out company. Excuses fly thick and fast, Troll mans up, a northern standard is raised at Rainbow Bridge and we assemble in full winter gear and waterproofs as the two hour deluge finally passes and the sun breaks through in blue skies.
This is no fairytale, as more weather is expected, and with sodden trails its time for a shorter route with liberal bail out options. Temperatures are not rising, and there is only a very modest de layering on the climb to the Lidgetts gate.
Pete records the gentle returning of the old gate into the landscape. Kerridge mud is a weird mix of greasy top on hard dried ruts. The lung busting ride to the first gate to the top is very doable (assuming lungs, legs and greasy patches/slippy roots don’t trigger a dab). Conversation is a bit stilted until we recover, then find the gate has shrunk – breathing in required to get round (not a middle aged spread issue – it really was very tight honest!!)
Its been a good call going up to the top – great views of incoming weather, a pair of red kites (or possibly very big kestrels), glimpses of white topped hills, and silhouetted horizons.
Grass is damp but not too slippy, lots of upper body training over the kissing gates, there is white stuff under dark clouds not too far away, but wind direction is a bit shifty, keep on moving along to White Nancy.
Time for a celebratory stop, and care is needed not to lose the cups and condiment in the wind. Hot caffiene and alcohol is very warming 🙂
In a case of weird TNR symmetry the Nancies pass by at Nancy, many on rather nice Crossers, inform us that its the cricket club quiz at the poachers (so best avoided), then head manfully strait down the steep bits.
The weather is approaching fast, pies and drink are gulped down, a Robin hood plan is hatched, layers re donned, and we slither down to the track as the horizontal hail comes in.
Snicket is extremely wet with a humungus puddle at the top. Heads are down on the steep approach to Oakenbank, but lift as the clouds lift and the setting sun pops back up and pretends that nothing has happened.
Hills are now whitish at much lower levels, we are glad of the incline to keep warm, and El Pres finds his beer legs to “ensure we get food”.
Crackling fire, leather chairs, fresh steak and ale pie straight from the oven, and wainwrights on tap Hmmm this is fast becoming our new favourite pub 🙂
Old photos, tales of axe murderers being ambushed sweeny style on the wall (truth definitely stranger than fiction!), and an impressive entrance by Dunc in work regalia on crosser (if being dressed like james may in flowery shirt over jeans = work regalia). All to the good, and conversation floweth along with the beer.
A steady trickle of clientele inform us its snowing outside, and eventually there is nothing more to be done but head out and face it. Two take on oakenbank, the rest are down the road into blizzard like conditions, big wet icy flakes stinging faces, making helmet mounted lights useless, and blurring glasses at all the wrong points. Nasty it is!
By Chinese corner on hurdsfield it has become rain, Dunc has headed off to minimise his time with wet denim, and even in fully waterproofs its cold.
Please sir can we have some early summer next week? (the wise ones are heading to Spain just in case!!)